SUMMER CAMP -AND- MISCHIEVOUS PROCLIVITIES

DANNY RUTHERFORD
SCAMP

Copyright © 2022 Danny Rutherford.

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 CONTENT
5 INTRODUCTION
5 SCAMPER CREATION
9 ADVENTURE RULES
11 WONDROUS WILDLIFE
12 GOING ON ADVENTURES
17 CM ADVICE

INTRODUCTION
SCAMP is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by summer camp and adventure
cartoons. It is best played with two to four players and a Camp Master (CM). During
play, players take on the roles of kids at summer camp. These player characters are
not just ordinary campers, they are scampers! Full of mischief and adventure! The
CM takes on the role of everyone and everything else the scampers might encounter.

Not everyone needs to read the rules to get started, the CM can facilitate scamper
creation and teach the rules during play. If players want to read ahead, the following
sections are important: Scamper Creation, Adventure Rules, and Wondrous Wildlife.

NEW TO ROLEPLAYING?
Gameplay is like a conversation between the players and the CM. The CM describes
the imagined world, the players describe what their scampers do in it, and the CM
describes how it responds. The CM and players are sort of like writers, actors, and
audience members all at the same time. The rules are procedural tools to help guide
this conversation. When the rules ask for dice to be rolled use six sided dice. Dice
rolls add randomness and keep the game interesting and exciting for everyone at
the table. Though scampers may get themselves into all sorts of trouble, the relation-
ship between the CM and players is about shared exploration and non-adversarial.

SCAMPER CREATION
This section describes the nine components that make up a scamper: Name,
Description, Fear, Attributes, Skills, Energy, Angst, Equipment, and Badges. A scam-
per sheet is included at the end of this book to help keep track of all these things.
Make copies of this sheet for each player or use it as a template and record your
notes elsewhere. Some decisions need to be made when a scamper is created.
These decisions are called out with the text SCAMPER CREATION.

SCAMPER CREATION. Before you make your scamper, envision what

kind of kid they might be. What do they look like, what are their interests,
and how do they behave? Scampers are an adventurous sort and want to
go on adventures.
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 NAME
All scamper’s need a name. It could be their real name or a nickname they prefer.

SCAMPER CREATION. Give your scamper a name.

DESCRIPTION
A scamper’s description describes how they see themself and how they fit in with
other scampers. Examples: “I’m the SPORTS kid!” or “I’m the GOOFY kid!”

SCAMPER CREATION. Fill in the blank to describe your scamper.
“I’m the -BLANK- kid!”

FEAR
Scampers are adventurous, but the world can be a big scary place!

SCAMPER CREATION. What is your scamper most afraid of?

ATTRIBUTES
There are six attributes that characterize scampers. Each scamper only ever has
three attributes. These attributes are organized into pairs: Honest or Tricky, Kind
or Fearsome, and Patient or Antsy.

SCAMPER CREATION. For each attribute pair, mark the one that best
describes your scamper.

HONEST. Honest scampers tell the truth TRICKY. Tricky scampers are deceptive
and follow rules. and secretive.

KIND. Kind scampers do nice things and FEARSOME. Fearsome scampers can
helps others. appear big and mean.

PATIENT. Patient scampers are obser- ANTSY. Antsy scampers would rather
vant and wait for the right moment. be up, active, and getting things done.

SKILLS
There are ten skills scampers excel in. Each scamper only ever has six of them.
These skills are organized into scamper skills and mischief skills. They are also
organized into pairs: Convince and Confuse, Craft and Sabotage, Lift and Break,
Run and Sneak, and Soothe and Scare. If a scamper has a scamper skill, they also
have the matching mischief skill.

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 SCAMPER CREATION. Choose three skill pairs to describe the sorts of
things your scamper is good at.

SCAMPER SKILLS MISCHIEF SKILLS

CONVINCE. Convincing scampers are CONFUSE. Convincing scampers are

good at getting non-scampers to help also good at confusing others and
out and believe what they say. distracting them from what is going on.

CRAFT. Crafty scampers are good at SABOTAGE. Crafty scampers are also
making things, putting things together, good at setting things up to break and
and coming up with plans. making traps.

LIFT. Strong scampers are good at lifting, BREAK. Strong scampers are also good
pushing, pulling, and all sorts of physical at wrecking, smashing, and breaking
activities. things into smithereens.

RUN. Fast scampers are good at running, SNEAK. Fast scampers are also good at
swiming, climbing, and moving from one sneaking quickly from one hiding spot to
place to another. the next unseen.

SOOTHE. Soothing scampers are good SCARE. Soothing scampers know what
at calming others down and caring for frightens and frustrates others and what
injuries. it takes to drive them off.

ENERGY
Each scamper has scamper energy and mischief energy. Once a type of energy
is used, it cannot be used again until the scamper rests. Energy has three other
interactions:
• ANGST. Use either type of energy to avoid angst.
• ACTION ROLL. Use the appropriate type of energy to achieve an action goal
even when there are not enough successes on an action roll.
• WEARY. You cannot make a help roll when you have no energy available.

ANGST
Angst is a number between zero and three that measures a scamper’s frustration
and fright. Angst is retained until a scamper rests or a fellow scamper soothes
them. See the Angst Rolls, Calling It Quits, and Rest sections in Adventure Rules
for additional details. Angst has one other interaction:
• FEAR. A scamper always gains at least one angst when they encounter their fear.

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 EQUIPMENT
Scampers carry around gear and items. A scamper can only ever have one set of
gear and one item at a time. A player marks their scamper’s equipment when it
makes sense to do so. This could be at the start of an adventure, when they leave
camp, or when an action roll is needed and equipment might help.

GEAR
• Archery Gear. A bow and arrows.
• Craft Gear. Scissors, glue, rope, and duct tape.
• Camping Gear. A tent, sleeping bag, matches, and a small shovel.
• Climbing Gear. A rope, hammer, pitons, and chalk.
• Hiking Gear. A hiking stick, binoculars, a canteen, and sunscreen.
• *Special Gear. Describe the special gear the scamper has.

ITEMS
• Extra Snacks. Just in case the scampers get hungry on their adventure.
• Rod & Tackle. A fishing rod, fishing line, hooks, and bait.
• Flashlight. A flashlight and enough batteries to keep it going.
• Guide & Map. A wilderness guide and map of the area.
• Slingshot. A slingshot and shiny pebbles.
• *Special Item. Describe the special item the scamper has.

BADGES
Scampers earn badges over the course of their adventures. Each badge has three
diamonds. At the end of an adventure, players mark a diamond if their scamper
met the requirements for that badge. Once all the diamonds for a badge have been
marked, the scamper has earned that badge!
• Big Helper. Helped someone solve a problem.
• Brave. Came face to face with their fear.
• Hard Worker. Used both types of energy.
• Independent. Rolled more successes on an action roll than needed without help.
• Tough. Accumulated three angst and called it quits.
• Trouble Maker. Failed an action roll and got into big trouble.

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 ADVENTURE RULES
This section describes procedures and rules that help guide the game. They include
Action Rolls, Trouble, Angst Rolls, Calling It Quits, and Rest.

ACTION ROLLS
When a player describes their scamper’s actions they need to have an action goal
and approach in mind. This is what the scamper is trying to achieve and how they
plan to achieve it. The CM describes the outcome of a scamper’s action. Scampers
will usually achieve minor action goals without trouble, but difficult, risky, or trouble-
some actions will likely require an action roll!
1. ENVISION THE ACTION. The player describes the action goal and approach.
2. MAKE A DICE POOL. The player assembles a pool of six sided dice.
a. Each dice pool starts with two dice.
b. Add a dice for each of the following:
i. The scamper has one or more attributes that match their Approach.
ii. The scamper has one or more skills that match their Approach.
iii. The scamper has one or more helpful pieces of Equipment.
3. SET THE DIFFICULTY. The CM uses the action goal and approach to decide
the number of successes needed to achieve the action goal. The more difficult
or risky the action, the higher the difficulty should be.
a. Difficulty 2 requires 2 successes.
b. Difficulty 3 requires 3 successes.
c. Difficulty 4 requires 4 successes.
4. ROLL THE DICE. The player rolls the dice pool and counts the number of 5s
and 6s. This is the number of successes! If the number of successes are equal
to or more than the difficulty, the scamper succeeds! If there are not enough
successes, there might be trouble!
5. ASK FOR HELP. One other scamper can help if they are willing and able. If a
scamper helps, their player describes how and makes a help roll. A help roll is
just like an action roll, but the player cannot ask for help and does not check for
trouble. Add successes from the help roll to the action roll result. If the number
of successes are equal to or more than the difficulty, the scampers succeed!
6. CHECK FOR TROUBLE. Trouble happens when there are not enough successes!
If the scamper had a skill that matched their approach, the player can use the
appropriate energy to achieve the action goal and get into a little trouble.
a. If the skill was a scamper skill, scamper energy must be used.
b. If the skill was a mischief skill, mischief energy must be used.
c. If no energy is used, the scamper gets into big trouble.

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 TROUBLE
Trouble is a misstep, a complication, or another event that makes the adventure
more interesting. Usually trouble has to do with a scamper’s task and is often a new
obstacle that needs to be overcome or circumvented.

The CM decides what the trouble is, but they can ask the players for good ideas.
If the CM and players cannot think of a good idea for a trouble, the CM can decide
the task is simply more taxing than expected and the player makes an angst roll
for their scamper.

LITTLE TROUBLE
Little trouble happens when an action roll does not have enough successes but
the appropriate energy is used to succeed regardless. This trouble does not get in
the way of the scamper achieving their action goal, but it does complicate things.
Example: The scamper scored a direct hit when they threw the mashed potatoes
at the fairy, but they hit the camp counselor too!

BIG TROUBLE
Big trouble happens when an action roll does not have enough successes and the
scamper fails to achieve their action goal. This is the kind of trouble that just makes
matters worse. Example: Not only did the scamper miss when they threw the mashed
potatoes at the fairy, but they hit the camp counselor instead!

ANGST ROLLS
When an especially frightening or frustrating event happens, the player makes an
angst roll for their scamper. If the frightening event matches the scamper’s fear, the
scamper gains one angst before the angst roll is made.

• ANGST ROLL. Roll a six sided dice. If the result is 1, 2, 3 or 4, the scamper
gains one angst. Spend either type of energy to avoid gaining this angst.

CALLING IT QUITS
When a scamper accumulates three angst, they call it quits and leave the scene. The
player describes how their scamper leaves and where they go. Does the scamper
run frightened or throw a tantrum? Do the other scampers know where to find them?

• SOOTHE. If the other scampers can find a scamper who called it quits, they
can attempt to soothe them. This is a special type of action roll that does not
have a set difficulty. One angst can be cleared for each success achieved. A
scamper can return to the adventure if they have less than three angst.

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If the other scampers do not look for, find, and soothe the scamper who called it
quits, that scamper eventually finds their way back to camp or some other safe
place and gets rest. Such a scamper can return to the adventure after the other
scampers get rest too.

REST
Scampers can rest at camp or another safe place. When scampers rest, it is usually
in the form of a good night’s sleep. Scampers regain all of their used energy and
return to zero angst when they wake up from a rest.

WONDROUS WILDLIFE
Wondrous wildlife are strange and fantastical creatures the scampers are likely to
encounter on their adventures. Follow the steps below to create such a species.
The players and the CM should each make a wondrous wildlife species before the
scampers start on their adventures.

A wondrous wildlife sheet is included at the end of this book to help keep track of
their details. Make copies of this sheet for each player or use it as a template and
record your notes elsewhere.

STEP 1: MASHUP!
Create a species of wondrous wildlife by rolling four six sided dice in a row and
referencing the Wondrous Wildlife table. The first result determines the column and
the second result determines an animal from that column. It is the same for the
third and fourth results, a column and an animal. These are the two animals that
make up that species! Example: The results of 1, 4, 3, and 5 are Column 1–Result
4 (Raven) and Column 3–Result 5 (Turtle). A Raven-Turtle!

WONDROUS WILDLIFE

Result Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 Col 4 Col 5 Col 6

1 Deer Fox Hound Mouse Chicken Lizard

2 Goat Fish Cat Sheep Bat Racoon

3 Llama Bear Duck Cow Butterfly Squirrel

4 Raven Toad Hawk Sparrow Peacock Worm

5 Mole Snake Turtle Skunk Owl Otter

6 Pig Bug Bee Platypus Rabbit Horse

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 STEP 2: FACTS!
Answer a few questions about the species and record them for reference.
• ANIMALS. Which animals are they made up of?
• DIET. What do they love to eat?
• SOCIAL. Are they solitary or do they live in a pack?
• HABITAT. Where do they live? Fields, forests, mountains, rivers, or towns?
• SPECIAL. What is the most special thing about them?

GOING ON ADVENTURES
This section describes what an adventure is and how to guide one. It is written with
the CM in mind. Useful considerations can be found in bold italics.

OVERVIEW
Adventures are like episodes of an adventure cartoon: a situation disturbs the
everyday lives of the scampers and the scampers do something about it. The two
primary parts of an adventure are situations and scenes.

SITUATIONS
Situations are the disturbing events that interrupt the everyday lives of the scampers.
Examples: A raging cow-bear is rampaging through the town and making a mess
of things, a goblin is stealing food in the campground, or the scampers decide to
go explore the forest.

It is your job to come up with situations and introduce them in the imagined narrative.
You can create a situation on the fly or come up with one before the adventure.
Examples: The scampers encounter the raging cow-bear when they go into town
or find goblin tracks in the campground when they are eating lunch.

If the players have an idea about what they want their scampers to do, follow their
lead and introduce an appropriate situation along the way. Example: The players
decide their scampers want to go explore the forest and you come up with a situation
that happens once they get there.

A good situation is open-ended. You and the players do not know ahead of time
how the adventure will play out or how exactly the scampers will resolve it.

CREATING A SITUATION
Situations have characters and what they are up to. It is up to you to create the
specifics. Use the tables below for inspiration or ask the players for ideas and
inspiration when questions come up.

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Use the Locals, Magical Creatures, and Personalities table to create characters in
a situation. Roll a six sided die for a local or magical creature and a second die for
its personality.

Use the What Are They Up To table to decide what is going on. Roll a six sided
die and consult the table. The results include questions to consider. Answer these
questions to flesh out an adventure.

LOCALS, MAGICAL CREATURES, and PERSONALITY

Result Locals Magical Creatures Personalities

1 Fellow Camper Unicorn or Fairy Helpful or Kind

2 Camp Counselor Dragon Lonely or Shy

3 Visiting Parent Troll, Monster, or Giant Rude or Sarcastic

4 Park Ranger Elf or Gnome Scared or Silly

5 Hiker or Adventurer Goblin Serious or Brave

6 Bullies Ghost or Spirit Weird or Smart

WHAT ARE THEY UP TO

Result What They Are Up To

1 Stealing or Taking things. What are they stealing or taking?

2 Scaring or Bullying. Who are they upsetting and why?

3 Breaking or Making a Mess. What are they breaking or messing up?

4 Lost. Where are they supposed to be?

5 Hiding or Injured. What are they hiding from or how did they get injured?

6 Searching. What are they searching for and where is it?

• ANTAGONISTS. It often makes sense to have an antagonist, someone or

something that has caused the situation to happen in the first place. They could
be doing it on purpose or accidentally. Use the Locals, Magical Creatures, and
Personality table to create an antagonist. Alternatively, use wondrous wildlife.

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 SCENES
Just like in a cartoon, an adventure can be broken down into scenes. Think about the
game as a chain of related actions and how one set of actions and their outcomes
can lead to other scenes. Always consider what the scampers are trying to accom-
plish next. Can they do it or will things go awry?

What are the scampers doing and why are they doing it?

When the purpose of a scene gets lost in the excitement of the game, ask the players,
“what are your scampers trying to achieve here?” This gets everyone back on track.

SCENE INTRODUCTIONS
When you introduce a scene, describe the imagined world so the players can see
it in their own imagination and decide what they would like their scampers to do.

Describe where the scampers are, who else is there, and what is going on.

Additional descriptions can come as players ask questions and the scampers interact
with the people, places, and things in the scene.

SCENE TRANSITIONS
Once the scampers have accomplished their goal for a scene or things have gone
terribly awry, move on to the next scene. Usually the next scene is obvious and
follows directly from the outcome of the previous one. Ask the players what their
scampers are doing next when the next scene is not obvious.

Ask the players what their scampers are doing or what they would like their
scampers to do next.

When transitioning between scenes, describe how the scampers get from the
end of one scene to the start of the next. If players would like their scampers
to do something during this transition, explore this before moving on.

TYPICAL ADVENTURE SEQUENCE

It can be helpful to keep a typical adventure sequence in mind to guide the adventure.
1. Getting Ready
2. Starting Somewhere
3. Getting to the Bottom of Things
4. Wrapping Things Up
5. Check for Badge Progress.

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 GETTING READY
There are a few things to do before each adventure. Each player should have a
scamper to play and that scamper should want to go on adventures. If players
already have scampers to roleplay, they just need to get them ready.
• Energy and Angst. Scampers start each adventure with all their energy avail-
able and their angst at zero.
• Equipment. Scampers can have different equipment from those previously
selected. They can choose new equipment when it makes sense to do so.
• Troubles. Experienced scampers may have lingering troubles from prior adven-
tures. Only include trouble in this way if it is fun for everyone at the table.

Everyone should each make a wondrous wildlife species. Use the Wondrous Wildlife
section to help guide the creation process. If you already have wondrous wildlife
from prior adventures it can be fun to make more! Even when adding new species,
keep using the ones you made before.

STARTING SOMEWHERE
Scampers are usually in the middle of doing scamper things when an adventure
starts. Examples: The scampers encounter the raging cow-bear when they are
hanging out in town, find goblin tracks when they eat lunch in the campground, or
discover an injured adventurer when they explore the forest.

Use the Activities table and the Location, Time, and Weather table for inspiration.
Roll a six sided die to determine a General Activity or Scamper Activity, another
die for Location, and a third die for Weather. Sometimes the results may not make
immediate sense, but that is where fun and creativity comes in! For this to be possi-
ble, what else must be true?

ACTIVITIES

Result General Activity Scamper Activity

1 Cleaning Canoeing or Swimming

2 Eating Arts and Crafts

3 Hanging Out Hiking

4 Playing Pranks Archery

5 Sleeping Obstacle Course

6 Telling Stories Star or Cloud Gazing

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 LOCATION, TIME, and WEATHER

Result Location Time Weather

1 in a Forest Morning Chilly

2 in a Field or Meadow Morning Warm

3 in a Lake, River, or Stream Afternoon Hot

4 in the Campground Afternoon Cloudy

5 on a Hill or Mountain Night Rainy

6 in the Town Night Stormy

If you do not know what to say to get the adventure started, use the following phrase
with your results from the tables.

“It’s a <Weather> kind of <Time>.

We find our scampers <Activity> <Location>.
What do we see your scampers doing? What does that look like?”

As with other scenes, describe who else is there and what else is going on. Once
the scene has been established, introduce the situation.

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS

Once a situation has been introduced, adventuresome scampers usually want to get
to the bottom of it. This is an excellent time to use action rolls to see how successful
the scampers are at the things they do. Action rolls also come with the opportunity
for trouble and trouble makes the adventure more exciting!

Players will not always be interested in the situation. Move on to the next scene and
drop more clues, hints, and signs of what is going on just in case they did not catch
on. If they still do not appear to be interested, ask them, “what is going on with this
situation that makes it exciting?” Incorporate their answers into the situation and
follow the adventure wherever it goes.

There will likely be a variety of scenes in this part of the adventure. Investigating
clues, talking to locals, climbing trees, confronting monsters, resolving disagree-
ments, interacting with wondrous wildlife, you name it! As the CM, you have a lot
of say on how many scenes there are. Follow your gut instinct and the results of
action rolls. Break things down into scenes and keep the situation in mind if you
feel lost. Example: The goblin is not in the first place the scampers look. A trail of
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footprints leads to a distant forest. The scampers must hike past a herd of rowdy
cow-bears before they can get there.

• ADDITIONAL OBSTACLES. Whenever you feel stuck, take a moment to

think and use the tables introduced previously for inspiration. Adventures can
be filled with obstacles and minor situations the scampers need to overcome
before they can resolve the main situation. Always look for ways to incorporate
the wondrous wildlife created.

WRAPPING THINGS UP
Once scampers have resolved the situation, wrap things up. This is an excellent
opportunity for a scene where the scampers see and experience the repercussions
of their actions. It is a chance to interact with the new friends they made along the
way and celebrate their victories.

CHECK FOR BADGE PROGRESS

After the adventure has come to an end, guide the players through checking for badge
progress. Refer to the Scamper Creation section for each badge’s requirements.
This is an excellent opportunity to recap what happened during the adventure and
decompress as a group.

CM ADVICE
This section gives additional advice on being a CM and is written with the CM in mind.

RULE ADVICE

ACTION ROLL DIFFICULTY

Judge the fictional world from the standpoint of the scampers. Things that are
simple for an adult may be really difficult for a scamper. Keep in mind the approach
described by the player. Sometimes the particular approach will make the action
goal more or less difficult to achieve. Do not be afraid of choosing higher difficulties,
scampers can ask for help and use their energy to get the job done.

TROUBLE
Use trouble to guide the adventure in ways that sound interesting to you and the
players. It should not be a roadblock that completely prevents the adventure from
continuing. Ask yourself how the scamper’s action might have gone wrong or what
could have happened to prevent the scamper from being successful. It is also
important to remember that little trouble means the scamper is still successful and
achieves their action goal. If nothing comes to mind, ask the players for ideas and
run with them. “What kind of trouble does your scamper get into?”
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 ANGST CHECKS
Angst checks occur when an especially frightening or frustrating event happens.
This is purposefully vague. There is no right or wrong answer. The types of things
the players choose for their scampers’ fears can give you good ideas. If you think
an especially frightening or frustrating event has happened but you are not sure, ask
the players what they think. “How does your scamper react to what just happened?
Was it particularly frightening or frustrating for them?”

REST AND TIME

There are few reasons to put obstacles in the way when players decide they want
their scampers to rest. Such obstacles can make an adventure feel more dangerous,
frightening, or serious, but if you use this technique too often the game can feel
slow and frustrating. Once a scamper has filled their angst and called it quits, they
are free to make it back to camp or some place safe no matter what.

Time passes when scampers rest. Consider ways a situation might change and
adjust the situation accordingly. Example: The scampers tracked the goblin down
to a meadow the previous evening, but the goblin has given them the slip overnight.

SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY

Players rely on the CM to describe scenes, roleplay all the other inhabitants of the
world, and guide the adventure. This can feel like a big task with lots of responsi-
bility! It is not uncommon for people to feel intimidated or overwhelmed, but it does
not have to be as hard or scary as it sounds!

The players at the table are a great resource! Ask them to describe something or
answer a question about what is going on. As a matter of fact, do this often! This is
a great way to get the players interested in the adventure and generate excitement
for everyone at the table, including you!

SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT

Players are often excited during the game, but not all players are comfortable
speaking up in the same way. Each player at the table is there to play and have fun.
Call on different players at different times to make sure everyone has a chance to
contribute to the adventure! If you do not know what to say, simply turn to a player
and ask, “what is your scamper doing?”

It is also a great idea to encourage the players to describe interactions between

their scampers. “Are your scampers talking to each other? What does this look like
and what do they say?”

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NAME
DESCRIPTION “I’M THE KID!”
FEAR

ANGST EQUIPMENT
GEAR (Choose 1)
ATTRIBUTES Archery Gear Climbing Gear
(Choose 1 in each pair)
Craft Gear Hiking Gear
Honest or Tricky Camping Gear *Special Gear
Kind or Fearsome ITEMS (Choose 1)
Patient or Antsy Extra Snacks Guide & Map
Rod & Tackle Slingshot
Scamper ENERGY Mischief Flashlight *Special Item

SKILLS BADGES
(Choose 3 pairs)
Big Helper Independent
Convince Confuse
Craft Sabotage Brave Tough
Lift Break
Run Sneak Hard Worker Trouble Maker
Soothe Scare

NOTES ACTION ROLLS

1. Envision the action.
2. Make a dice pool.
3. Set the difficulty.
4. Roll the dice.
5. Ask for help.
6. Check for trouble.

WONDROUS WILDLIFE

ANIMALS - DIET
Animal 1 Animal 2
SOCIAL HABITAT
Pack Solitary Field Mountain Town
Forest River

SPECIAL